Aidah and her twin brother Tavish have always had a knack for getting into trouble. From pie stealing and pranks to hunting for magical creatures, they have always escaped notice in their tiny mountain village. Until now. Aidah begins seeing visions through her brother’s eyes. He’s a Firestarter, gifted with the Talent to control light and heat, destined to become a Sun Mage in the great city of Landaran. But he doesn’t want to leave without his sister. As storm clouds gather, Aidah dreams of a beautiful man, a frightening man, calling to her. She fears the truth. That she may developing a Talent of her own, one that will change their lives forever. The power to read minds. To possess bodies. To travel inside dreams. In the world of Ernid, Spirit is the ultimate power. Nations will go to war over them.

Aidah's
movement was too sudden. The branch she stood on snapped, and she fell
back, tumbling down the nest towards the brink of the ledge. Tavish
reached out and caught hold of her tunic as her legs slipped over the
edge.

“Grab my arm! Pull yourself up,” he commanded as the fabric in his hand began to tear.

She tried
to grab for his arm, but her body was turned awkwardly. At least her
predicament seemed to have one benefit. The roc, startled by her fall,
wheeled away.

Aidah
didn’t have time to see if there were any other flying creatures down
there, such as a few frightened wyrret parents. The tunic tore. Aidah
scrambled to get hold of something, anything,. She felt herself falling,
and then Tavish’s fingers clamped hard around her wrist, his short
nails pinching into her skin.

“Sis,
don’t move. I’m not secure here. Just stay still and let me pull you
up.” She looked up at her brother holding her with one hand, trying to
get a foothold or any kind of handhold on the cliff to brace himself in
order to pull her back up. The fact she was looking up at him alarmed
her--she was truly hanging off the cliff, her shoulders rubbing the hard
granite of the edge, her lower body dangling.

Tavish
found a rock to hold onto and pulled, but while the cords in his neck
jutted out and his arm trembled with effort, he couldn’t pull her up
even a little before his feet began to slip. She very carefully grasped
his arm with her other hand, but still he was not quite strong or secure
enough. Aidah’s heart pounded through her rib cage, as fear began to
sink in. If she fell, it would be a messy death. Death wasn’t something
she ever really thought about, yet here it suddenly was, glaring at her.
The two of them struggled, trying to get her up, but it was useless.
She swallowed back a moan as tears burned in her eyes.

“Gods, if I knew a spell to fix this!” Tavish gasped.

His
words seemed to trigger something within her. Strength, that was what
he needed. If only she could somehow lend him strength . . .

A
blinding pain tore at the base of her skull, and she could suddenly
hear Tavish muttering to himself, although his lips were firmly pressed
shut. She didn’t have time to listen to what he was saying, however,
before a pressure wave suddenly went through her body, traveling from
the soles of her feet up through her torso and out through her hands
where she gripped Tavish’s arm. As the wave passed, strength left her,
darkening her vision. She opened her mouth to scream, thinking perhaps
she was dying.

With
a cry, Tavish pulled hard at her, and she found herself on the cliff
again, in Tavish’s arms lying at the very back of the ledge. Apparently
he had pulled so hard he’d sent both of them back several paces. Even
now he looked ready to do it again--there was no trace fatigue. She, on
the other hand, felt pale and sickly. The world spun, and she was afraid
her knees wouldn’t hold her up. Trembling, she tried to get up and
failed, falling back against her brother.

He
set her down and got up, brushing snow and dirt from his trousers.
“Wow, where did that come from, I wonder? I feel like a fresh ox! I
think I could move a mountain right now! Did you do something, Sis?” He
paced around stretching out his arms and legs, as if unable to stand
still.

The
world was graying out to Aidah and she found it difficult to follow
what Tavish was saying. Her head was pounding with one of the worst
headaches she’d ever had. “I don’t . . . think so. Maybe your magic
helped you. Can we go home? I’m not feeling so well . . .” The world
suddenly tilted and fell into blackness.

About the Author:Judy Goodwin developed a passion for writing at a young age, creating picture books from the time she

could read and write. She continued this passion throughout her schooling, earning her BA degree in Creative Writing from the University of Arizona. In her day job, she works as a technical writer in the healthcare field. She enjoys sharing her love of books and fantasy with her daughter and partner. They live in Gilbert, Arizona, with two Shiba Inu (Japanese) dogs, one wiener dog, and four black cats. Ms. Goodwin has published short stories in small press and online magazines including Space and Time, Dreams and Nightmares, Alienskin, and Beyond Centauri. With the advent of eBooks and indie publishing, she decided to move into the brave new world of publishing with the debut of her first novel, Heart of the Witch. Journey to Landaran is her second full length novel, the first installment of the Spirit Mage Saga.

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I am a full time mom and avid reader. When I am not playing dress up or chasing down lost toys and wrestling with the never ending pile of laundry, I read. Actually, I read whenever I get the chance. I love many different genres and would have a hard time choosing just one favorite book. And yes I really am obsessed with books, in fact I might be a book hoarder. Thankfully I have a Kindle and no one is the wiser to my vastly growing collection of books.